ducked under the ship's stern and out of danger. And so it went,
around and around, the skiff each time just barely ducking into
safety.

By this time the ship's crew had become aware of what was taking
place, and we could see their heads in a long row as they looked at us
over the bulwarks. Each time we missed the skiff at the stern, they
set up a wild cheer and dashed across to the other side of the
_Lancashire Queen_ to see the chase to windward. They showered us and
the Italians with jokes and advice, and made our Greek so angry that
at least once on each circuit he raised his fist and shook it at them
in a rage. They came to look for this, and at each display greeted it
with uproarious mirth.

"Wot a circus!" cried one.

"Tork about yer marine hippodromes,--if this ain't one, I'd like to
know!" affirmed another.

"Six-days-go-as-yer-please," announced a third. "Who says the dagoes
won't win?"

On the next tack to windward the Greek offered to change places with
Charley.

"Let-a me sail-a de boat," he demanded. "I fix-a them, I catch-a them,
sure."

This was a stroke at Charley's professional pride, for pride himself
he did upon his boat-sailing abilities; but he yielded the tiller to
the prisoner and took his place at the sheet. Three times again we
made the circuit, and the Greek found that he could get no more speed
out of the salmon boat than Charley had.

"Better give it up," one of the sailors advised from above.

The Greek scowled ferociously and shook his fist in his customary
fashion. In the meanwhile my mind had not been idle, and I had finally
evolved an idea.

"Keep going, Charley, one time more," I said.

And as we laid out on the next tack to windward, I bent a piece of
line to a small grappling hook I had seen lying in the bail-hole. The
end of the line I made fast to the ring-bolt in the bow, and with the
hook out of sight I waited for the next opportunity to use it. Once
more they made their leeward pull down the port side of the
_Lancashire Queen_, and more once we churned down after them before
the wind. Nearer and nearer we drew, and I was making believe to reach
for them as before. The stern of the skiff was not six feet away, and
they were laughing at me derisively as they ducked under the ship's
stern. At that instant I suddenly arose and threw the grappling iron.
It caught fairly and squarely on the rail of the skiff, which was
jerked backward out of safety as the rope taute